Vintage Chanel No. 5 Perfume Bottles

Here are three pictures of authentic vintage Chanel perfume in the larger sizes.

Extrait GM = 3 oz parfum extrait

Extrait MM = 2 oz parfum extrait

Photos by ebay seller hitidedeer

To open the classic Chanel crystal parfum flacon, use the following tip provided by Parfums Chanel in 1963:

Remove cord and paper; with index finger as cushion, tap underneath sides of stopper lightly with glass object (glass on glass being the scientific method) while turning the bottle steadily between fingers, so that the stopper will be loosened evenly.

Vintage Fake Chanel Perfumes

Here are two fake Chanel perfume bottles.

Info on Chanel Perfume Bottles

Chanel perfume bottles...

• All Chanel perfumes appear in the signature Chanel bottle based on the original Sem design. 
• All Chanel bottles have been made by Verreries Brosse and usually the bases will be embossed with a VB or BR logo. 
• From the 1920s until 1951, the small O used in any perfume beginning with No. (number), will have a dot underneath it, after 1951, the dot disappears. 
• From 1970-1987, all Chanel's pure parfums will be marked with the word Perfume underneath the fragrance's name. Starting in 1988, we see the word Parfum used instead.
• Starting in 1987, the words Paris/New York are added to Eau de Parfums.
• Black striped boxes used up until 1958.
• The words "New York Distributor" was used from the late 1940s and into the 1950s.
• The familiar black and gold cologne sprays were introduced in 1958, they were metered to expel 800 sprays in each bottle. Light and sturdy, designed by Chanel for the age of air travel.
• Cologne and talc was used from 1939 - onwards

Decipher the numbers found on the extrait boxes:

• No. 203 = 3 oz 
• No. 202 = 2 oz
• No. 201 = 1 oz
• No. 200 = 1/2 oz
• No. 210 = 1/4 oz
• No. 375 = 1 1/2 oz (Eau de Cologne, not extrait)

Decipher the letters on the boxes to determine size of bottles:

• T.T.P.M = 1/4 oz (Tres Tres Petit Modele/Very Very or Extra Extra Small)
• T.P.M. = 1/2 oz (Tres Petit Modele/Very or Extra Small)
• P.M. (Petit Modele/Small) = 1 oz 
• M.M. (Moyen Modele/Medium) = 2 oz
• G.M. (Grand Modele/Large) = 3 oz
• T.G.M. (Tres Grand Modele/Very or Extra Large) = 4 oz

To open the classic Chanel crystal parfum flacon, use the following tip provided by Parfums Chanel in 1963:

Remove cord and paper; with index finger as cushion, tap underneath sides of stopper lightly with glass object (glass on glass being the scientific method) while turning the bottle steadily between fingers, so that the stopper will be loosened evenly.

Fake Chanel Perfume ALERT!

Fake Chanel Perfumes on ebay this week:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Chanel-No-5-Perfume-1-oz-Sealed-Evaporated-RARE-/111181552219?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19e2efda5b

Boxes are wrong, also look at terrible font on the boxes and on the label, it doesn't even line up correctly. Also bottle is not embossed "Chanel" on base like it should be.

Here is another fake Chanel perfume on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VERY-OLD-VINTAGE-BOTTLE-OF-CHANEL-NO-5-WITH-STOPPER-APPROX-IMATELY-25-FULL-/151135599220?pt=fragrance&hash=item2330623a74

The label is completely wrong. Also bottle is not embossed "Chanel" on base like it should be.

Here is another fake Chanel:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-Authentic-VINTAGE-Chanel-No-5-Paris-Perfume-size-7-/350890139102?pt=fragrance&hash=item51b2ae9dde

The bottle and stopper are not correct. Also bottle is not embossed "Chanel" on base like it should be.

More Fake Chanel perfume, this time one of those crappy "Essence of Chanel" fake roll ons that were popular in the 1970s-1980s. These are not genuine Chanel perfumes.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Essense-of-Chanel-Roll-On-Perfume-/151133264442?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23303e9a3a

Another fake perfume:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-CHANEL-NO-5-1-OZ-BOTTLE-SEALED-/300975585882?pt=fragrance&hash=item46138afa5a

again in wrong bottle, not genuine.

Fake Chanel again!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-CHANEL-NO-5-PERFUME-ALMOST-EMPTY-BOTTLE-MADE-IN-FRANCE-w-Maxfactor-com-/121179406297?pt=fragrance&hash=item1c36daffd9


Fake!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-CHANEL-NO-5-PARFUM-PERFUME-BOTTLE-FULL-/370847378039?pt=fragrance&hash=item565839ea77

Fake bottle and label looks terrible!

Here's another one!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Vintage-CHANEL-NO-5-Pure-Perfume-Extrait-1-4-oz-7-ml-Full-In-Box-/310570791968?pt=fragrance&hash=item484f763420

Real Chanel No. 19 Poudre vs. Fake Chanel No. 19 Poudre

On MakeupAlley this week, a member named hadas had posted some pictures of a fake Chanel No. 19 Poudre perfume she purchased from ebay.

Fake Chanel No. 19 Poudre photos:

Notice there is no accent symbol over the E in the word Poudre. Also notice the color of the perfume, it appears to be a fluorescent artificial green color.

Notice the discoloration along the edge of the label.

The base of the bottle is not "engraved" with the correct information, it looks like it is printed on. Also it should have the R in a circle after Chanel on the bottom of the bottle and should say Chanel twice. 

Front, back, & underside pics of the fake (it came with a fancy 'outer sleeve'):

Discoloration along the collar on the neck where the perfume has leaked.

The REAL Chanel No. 19 Poudre pics are below:

See the information on the base of the bottle.

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FAKE CHANEL PERFUME ALERT!

FAKE CHANEL PERFUME ON EBAY: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-CHANEL-No5-PURE-PERFUME-1-OZ-SEALED-BOXED-/400550057948?pt=fragrance&hash=item5d42a4d7dc

Sycamore vs. Sycomore

Sycamore: launched in 1930. Inspired by the sycamore tree and Coco Chanel's dream of the perfect woody perfume, a dry, balsamic scent without all of the feminine trappings of the other perfumes of the day.

So what did it smell like?

• Top notes: violet
• Middle notes: balsam
• Base notes: tobacco

Presented in a tall clear glass rectangular bottle with sloping shoulders. Packaged in a wooden box which heralded the perfume's name.

Originally retailed for $45 in 1930 as seen in this 1930 ad for B. Altman & Co.

Discontinued, date unknown.


Sycomore. A rich-wood fragrance with a noble character -- like the Sycomore tree that inspired it -- created by Chanel Master Perfumer Jacques Polge in 2008. At the heart of the scent: Vetiver, with an elegant Sandalwood note and dashes of Cypress, Juniper and Pink Pepper, for an earthy, warm and enveloping, yet subtle presence.

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FAKE CHANEL ALERT!

Fake Chanel perfume on ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chanel-Vintage-Hard-to-Find-No-5-PERFUME-1-fl-oz-in-Both-Boxes-never-used-/221253431706?pt=fragrance&hash=item3383bb719a

Chanel never used this bottle for their perfume! The boxes are not right, the bottle is not the correct one and does not say Chanel in the glass. The screwcap is also wrong, it would not be used on a parfum bottle, only bottles that had screwcaps were eau de toilettes and eau de colognes, not parfum! Not to mention, but the screwcap logo would have been quite different, with the CC logo engraved and picked out in white and not raised with gold paint like the one in the auction.

Real Chanel No. 19 vs. Fake Chanel No. 19

Here is a fake Chanel No. 19 bottle (photo originally posted on basenotes).. this bottle was never use by Chanel, you can also see that the label is fake as well.

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Real Bleu by Chanel vs. Fake Bleu by Chanel

So you want to by Bleu by Chanel...but you are afraid of buying a counterfeit...do yourself a favor and buy it at a Chanel's own website, a higher end department store, Sephora or Ulta. 

Ebay, flea markets, mall kiosks, craigslist, many online retailers and other retailers are known to sell counterfeits...save yourself the headache and doubts by buying at an authorized dealer only!!!

Or you already bought Bleu by Chanel...from eBay, a flea market, a mall kiosk,  website, craigslist, or some other retailer, or were given it as a gift ....and you have doubts as to its authenticity...well this tutorial will help you determine whether it is real or fake.


ebay member jmpassaniti wrote this:

"It appears the sales of counterfeit Bleu de Chanel are now epidemic on eBay.  I have encountered dozens of listings, most showing either a slightly faded box cover or a generic Chanel image that sell almost hourly on here.  After sharing notes with several buyers, including myself, it's a safe bet they are almost ALL fake counterfeits.

These are being sold by sellers in Michigan, New York, and California, and by some who have nearly 100% positive feedback, but the fragrance is undeniably a weak fake. Considering almost all of these auctions net the seller between $40-50 a bottle, with multiple sales a day this is quite a haul.

The cellophane wrap and box seem convincing enough.  The logo is raised, the box bottom has what appears to be a four digit lot or serial number embossed on the box, and the earlier counterfeit problems of spelling errors and unclean packaging appear to be resolved by the offshore manufacturer.  The real story doesn't become clear until you open the box and look at the bottle itself.

It has got a hazy film all over it, smudges and smears of what could be fragrance or fingerprint oil, and tiny fine scratch swirls that become evident in bright sunlight. The top shows a diagonal seam and the bottom is slightly irregular -- the sign of a cheap glass bottle manufacturing process. These bottles have been around, and not in a good way.

The bottle cap will be the ultimate test of real vs. fake.  Real Bleu de Chanel has a cap that holds in place with a magnet.  The phonies have a small seam line inside the cap which, by forcing the cap down, holds it in place.  If you set your cap on top of a real Chanel bottle, the magnets do all the work and the cap will automatically be held in place -AND- most important of all, the Chanel logo on top of the bottle will always spin into perfect alignment with the front/back of the bottle. You can see a demonstration of that on YouTube.  Just search for "Real vs. Fake Bleu de Chanel."

If your bottle cap doesn't do this, it's a fake/counterfeit.  The fakers sometimes use magnets, but the bottle caps don't align properly.  The most recent ones on eBay don't even bother with that -- they simply require the owner to press them down to hold them in place.

Ignore the Made in France vs. USA tips from around a year ago.  Legitimate Chanel fragrance can come from either their U.S. factory in New Jersey or from France.  Most of the fakes will say France just because people assume Chanel = France.

If you have a phony, don't even bother to spray it on yourself.  You have no idea what is in there, and would you spray a crime ring's fragrance on your skin?

Instead, file complaints.  The feedback system on eBay is notoriously poor for identifying fakes.  People are just happy to have received something in the mail quick for a good price that resembles the product they want.  Most have no idea they bought a phony.

Sellers promise refunds and some encourage you don't blow the whistle on their fake sales.  Occasionally, some are unwitting dupes themselves.

Chanel is among the most frequently counterfeited fragrances because of the high demand and the manufacturer's near-obsessive inventory control.  They destroy leftovers, old stock, and irregulars -- they don't sell it at wholesaler auctions.  I'd suspect the only real bottles of Chanel on here are those sold by individuals who have a single leftover bottle they don't like, one inherited from a family member who passed, or got one as a gift.  The ones selling a near-endless supply (check those feedbacks to see what they sold in the past) are immediately suspect, especially if they are selling in the $40-50 range for a 3.4oz bottle.

Yes, you'll pay $79 for an authentic bottle of this at the local department store, but for twice the price you'll actually get the real product.  The 1.7oz costs $59 -- around what you'll pay for the fake and the return postage to send it back (not to mention the time and hassle)."

 

View this YouTube tutorial:


Also this YouTube tutorial can be helpful:

Bois Noir by Chanel c1987

"Bois Noir," born from the creative genius of Jacques Polge in 1987, emerged as a hidden gem within Chanel's fragrance repertoire. This exclusive scent was a coveted secret, available solely at Chanel boutiques in France, adding an air of mystique to its allure. This exquisite combination of rarity, craftsmanship, and elegance made "Bois Noir" a cherished treasure among Chanel aficionados.

Examples of Negative Feedback for Fake Perfumes

Here are some examples of negative feedback for Chanel perfumes on ebay.

I copied and pasted these feedbacks directly from ebay and Toolhaus.org.

	!!! WARNING ! ! ! COUNTERFEIT ASPECTS--SCENT, BOTTLE, PACKAGING	m80hall ( 124)	Mar-29-13 07:31
	Reply by xguardian123 (Mar-29-13 14:10): We never sell anything other than genuine brand items. A+ reviews please read.
	Chanel Coco Mademoiselle 3.4oz Women's Eau de Parfum (#121075350254)

	Because it's a Chanel, I had hoped it was made in France. Next time, specify.	Buyer: Member idtess2377 ( Feedback Score Of259)	Nov-09-06 06:54
	Reply by gifts-unlimited (Nov-10-06 18:50): Buyer assumed where it was made, I did not lie. All my Chanels are made in USA.
	-- (#290039355980)

	Thx	perfumestash ( 156)	May-04-13 12:35
	Follow-up by perfumestash (May-05-13 11:37): This Item has Alien Particals Floating and does NOT smell like Chance. FAKE.
	1Chanel Chance3.4oz Perfume for Woman (#261205802161)

	shippin A++/ not same item as in description, was fake not to sellers knowledge	Buyer: deevicx201 ( 116)	Jan-02-13 08:36
	BRAND NEW & SEALED Chanel No. 5 3.4oz Women's Eau de Parfum BEST PRICE ON EBAY (#170961974634)

Chanel Perfume Testers - Yes They Are Faked!

This is a notice to anyone who sees a Chanel fragrance tester for sale, chances are that that bottle is a fake. Fake perfume manufacturers do make fake perfume testers and Chanel testers are one of the most commonly faked.

So when you see that cheap Chanel tester on ebay, look at the seller's feedback, look at their other auctions. If you see more than one for sale...it's a fake.

Chanel does NOT sell it's testers!!!! EVER!!!

Real Coco by Chanel vs. Fake Coco by Chanel

This guide was borrowed from abodaciousgal on flickr.

Front of Box

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•Ink used for label and print on the box is substandard
•The font is smaller on the fake
•The ink has bled between many letters
•The gold on black lettering and imprints on the box are thicker and harder to read than the authentic
•The word vaporisateur is higher on the fake box
•The white logo box is larger on the fake

Back of Box

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The logo on the back is larger, less refined than on the authentic
•The multilingual translation for the word spray (vaporisateur) also has the word “natural” added to each line on to the fake even though the barcode (314589 1135305) and box numbers (113.530) are the same
•The Greek translation for the word spray (ΣΠΡΕΙ) is missing on the fake
•The list of ingredients has only seven on the fake (the first three and the last four) and not the 23 listed on the original
•In the list of ingredients, 5 of those listed which have parentheses, have typos where there is no space between the words (i.e. “AQUA(WATER)” and not “AQUA (WATER)” )
•The CHANEL Paris logo is missing
•The 92200 NEUILLY SUR SEINE underlined logo is missing
•There is a typo on the CHANEL NY logo with no space between CHANEL and INC.

Side of Box

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The color of the gold used in ink and on the box sides are yellowier/brassier colored than on the authentic
•The top flaps on the box sides are larger on the fake.

Bottom of the box

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The spacing of the letters is smaller (and not justified) than on the authentic
•The circular circle with an arrow symbol on the bottom of the box is upside down than on the authentic.

Front of Bottle

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The white logo imprinted on the black band is thicker
•The ink used is flaking/rubbing off where the authentic cannot be scratched or rubbed off
•The label is cut roughly around the edges
•The color of the gold on the label is yellower/brassier colored than on the authentic
•The font of the label is larger and thicker than the authentic
•The color of the printing on the label is silver and not white

Side of Bottle

 

Bottle on left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The thickness of the bottle on the bottom and on the sides are thicker and less uniform than the shape of the authentic
•The color of the fake perfume is darker
•The scent of the fake is nothing like the musky authentic, it smells like aftershave!!!!

Top of Cap

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The bottle top is rougher, rounder and less clear than the authentic bottle.
•There are cast marks on the top of the fake bottle.

Closeup of Cap

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The bubble within the cap is smaller, less in depth and misshapen on the fake.

Back of Bottle

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The pump does not have a ball bearing nor is tube long enough to reach the bottom of the bottle as on an authentic bottle
•The authentic has the all the logos and registered trademarks on the reverse so they are visible from the back of the bottle and the fake has nothing
•The nozzle of the fake is taller than the authentic and crooked
•The color of the nozzle is lighter shade than the authentic.

Bottom of Bottle

Left is authentic, right is fake won in an ebay auction

•The etched product markings on the bottom of the bottle are lighter
•The CHANEL Inc logo does not have the registration mark
•The CHANEL Inc logo has New York, NY 10019 and not N.Y., N.Y. 10019 as on the authentic bottle
•The CHANEL Paris logo is missing
•The 92200 NEUILLY SUR SEINE underlined logo is missing

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Real Chanel Chance Eau Tendre vs. Fake Chanel Chance Eau Tendre

Some photos and info are from the following guide:

http://www.choenterprise.com/fashionablymary/index.php/spotting-fakes/8-spotting-fakes/4-spotting-fake-chanel-perfume

Other photos are from an ebay seller who claims her perfume is authentic because the bar code she entered in ebay's form comes up as a Chanel perfume. What the seller doesn't understand is that this bar code was taken from a genuine Chanel perfume bottle at one time and has been "stolen" by a Chinese manufacturer and by being printed and used for various Chanel Chance Eau Tendre fakes over and over, that's why it works.

On the fake bottle, it comes with a slip cover that has this print on it. The real bottles do not have this slip cover. In addition, the slip cover has a shoddy cut and paste photo shop image. Also notice that the box shows a waterstain  underneath the cellophane, this is caused by the fake perfume leaking inside the package. Leaking bottles are very common with fake perfumes.

Real box: Purple shade

Fake box: light pink shade

Fake box's back side. Notice the Chanel name on the left is missing its copyright symbol!

Fake box's slip cover back side. Notice the Chanel name on the left is missing its copyright symbol!

Rea; box: the printing is exact

Fake box: the printing is off center and there is a ghost image of a "double strike" on the word Chanel.

Real box: note two barcodes and location of the boxes on either side of the barcode and where the recycle symbol is located.

Fake: single barcode and note location of the small boxes and recycle symbol. Also on the bottom picture, is a fake, it is missing its barcode!

Real cap: the cap will always fit tightly onto the sprayer head

Fake cap: huge gap between cap and sprayer head, which will make it wobbly.

Real base: the metal plate fits perfectly embedded on the base, with teh screws even in all four corners.

Fake base: the metal plate is poorly made  and the four screws holding it on are unevenly placed in the corners.

Real bottle: the quality of the metal is very thick, smooth and highly polished.

Fake bottle: the metal is poor quality, is dull and thin and shows abrasions on the edges.

Real box: 

Fake box: direction of packaging is incorrect

Real bottle: the high quality glass is smooth, evenly molded and polished

Fake bottle: poor quality with visible ridges resulting in uneven surface and waviness.

Real bottle: has a unique serial number engraved onto the glass, and matches the one on the box.

Fake bottle: doesn't display the engraved number on the glass.

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